Auxiliary typewriter platform for secretarial desks



Jan. 23, H1 E. A. PURNELL 2,539,932

AUXILIARY TYPEWRITER PLATFORM FOR SECRETARIAL DESKS Filed Dec. 51, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jan. 23, 1951 EVA. PURNELL 2,539,032

' 1 AUXILIARY TYPEWRITER PLATFORM FOR SECRETARIAL DESKS Filed Dec. 51, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Edward APunzell.

Patented Jan. 23, 1951 AUXILIARY TYPEWRITER PLATFORM FOR SECRETARIAL DESKS Edward A. Purnell, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to The General Fireproofing Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,511

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an auxiliary support for mounting typewriting machines on a retractable shelf in desks for secretarial use.

More particularly the support is adapted for use with a shelf of the type shown in the patent to Reitzel et al., No. 2,271,241, issued January 27, 1942, and which carries the typewriting machine in its stored and operative positions. Owing to the fact that when a shelf of the type shown in the patent is vertically disposed when in its stored position, it has been necessary to immovably secure the typewriter thereto. However, the fact that the typewriting machine is thus rigidly secured has the disadvantage that the typist cannot conveniently angularly adjust the machine to working position.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a combined shelf and typewriter support which is pivotally connected in such a way that when the shelf is withdrawn from the storage compartment and erected to a horizontal position for use, the typewriting machine attached to the platform may be readily swung or adjusted to any desired angular position to suit the convenience of the operator of the machine to provide better vision for copying and transcribing notes.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable platform for supporting the typewriting machine which includes a substantial pivotal connection between the platform and the movable shelf, and which connection may be readily released to permit the platform to be removed from the shelf for cleaning and repairing the typewriter. Also, since the holes for receiving the typewriter fastenings are drilled in the platform rather than the shelf, the necessity for punching holes in the shelf is eliminated, thereby making a neater appearance.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a partial view of a secretarial desk showing the movable shelf erected to horizontal position and having the platform of the present invention connected therewith.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showin the shelf in vertical position with the platform secured thereto and in a position corresponding to the dotted line position of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the shelf in horizontal position.

Figure 4 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the secretarial desk is provided with a pedestal, includin a typewriter storage compartment C adapted to be opened and closed by a door D. The typewriter shelf I is hingedly connected thereto with a carriage 3 mounted on rollers operating in tracks 4 on an inside wall of the compartment, substantially as shown and described, for example, in the co-pending application of Howard P. Thomas and Albert T. Swimmer, Serial No. 719,482, filed Dec. 31, 1946, now Patent No. 2,525,975 dated Oct. 17, 1950.

The shelf I is adapted to move from the dotted line vertical position of Figure 1 to the horizontal full line position shown therein and is adapted to be held in horizontal operating position by mechanism of the type shown and described in the Reitzel et a1. patent, No. 2,271,241, previously referred to.

The shelf I has mounted thereon a platform designated generally as 5 and adapted to be pivotally connected to the said shelf by a detachable pivot member designated generally as 6. The platform 5 includes a body having pairs of rectangularly related openings 5 having downwardly facing socket portions for receiving headed fastenings adapted to cooperate with the frame of a typewriting machine to securely fasten the same to the platform, and the body of the platform has a shelf attaching portionprojecting or extending to one side of the rear pair of openings to provide unobstructed access to the pivot 6 which pendulously connects the platform with the shelf. Thus, when the shelf I is in the vertical dotted line position of Figure 1, or the full line position shown in Figure 2, it will be understood that the typewriter carried by the platform 5 will be adequately supported on the retractable shelf I in such a manner that it will be pivotally suspended. In other words, when the shelf I is in it vertical position, the platform 5 and the typewriting machine will automatically adjust themselves to the suspended position of the platform shown in Figure 2.

When the shelf I is erected to horizontal working position as shown in. Figures 1 and 3. the

3 platform 5 may be moved to any of the angular dotted line positions shown in Figure 3, thereby enabling the typist readily to adjust the position of the machine to convenient working position.

The pivot illustrated in Figure 4 essentially consists of a shouldered bolt 1 whose major diameter snugly fits an opening 8 in the platform. Its smaller diameter is externally threaded as indicated at 9, thereby to pass through a suitable opening in the shelf D and receive a clamping nut Hi. The body of the bolt 1 is provided with an internally threaded socket for receiving a screw l i which securely clamps a holding washer I2 to the upper exposed end of the body of'the bolt. Thus, it will be seen that the construction of the fastenin 6 provides a sturdy and substantial means for pivotally connecting the platform 5 to the shelf D. When the shelf D is in horizontal position, the platform may be selectively moved by the operator to any comfortable working position, and, when it is desired to-stre the typewriter, it is not necessary to brin the platform back to the full line position shown in Figure 3 because when the shelf I is moved to a vertical position, the platform will automatically gravitate to the proper suspended position.

It will, of course, be understood that the platform 5 may be made of any material suitable for the purpose, and althoughthe shelf I is shown a being made of metal, the invention would also have equal application to a shelf made of other material.

Without further descriptions, it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art,

and it will, of course, be apparent that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A typewriter platform, for the erectable and collapsible typewriter supporting shelf of secretarial desks, provided with fastening receiving openings including sockets opening at the bottom face thereof, said openings and sockets being arranged in rectangular relation to provide a front pair and a rear pair of openings, a shelf attaching portion projectin laterally from said platform to one side of the rear pair of openings to provide a portion which will be exposed When the typewriter is mounted on the platform, a detachable pivot connecting said attaching portion of the platform to the shelf, said pivot pendulously connecting the platform to the shelf to permit automatic centering of the platform when the shelf is collapsed to vertical position and for manually. adjusting the platform and the typewriter supported thereon when the shelf is erected to horizontal position to bring the typewriter into easy typing position.

EDWARD-A. PURNELL.

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,416 Johnston Jan. 23, 1906 894,298 Walkes- July 28, 1908 2,345,254 Grail Mar. 28, 1944 

